The Reeve's Tale
Folio 42r
1 of 10 folios
But wyl ne shal nat faillen / that is sootħ
And yet ik haue alwey a Coltes tootħ
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As many a yeer as it is passed henne
Syn that my tappe of lif / bigan to renne
For sikerly / whan I was bore / anon
Deeth drougħ the tappe of lyf / and leet it gon
And euer sithe / hath so the tappe yronne
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Til that almoost al empty is the tonne
The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chymbe
The sely tonge / may wel rynge and chymbe
Of wrecchednesse / that passed is ful yoore
With olde folk saue dotage is namoore
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Whan that oure hoost / hadde herd this sermonyng
He gan to speke / as lordly as a kyng
He seide / what amounteth al this wit
What shul we speke alday of hooly writ
The deuel / made a Reue for to preche
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And of a Souter / Shipman or a leche
Sey forth thy tale / and tarie nat the tyme
Lo Depeford / and it is half wey pryme
Lo Grenewycħ / ther many a shrewe is Inne
It were al tyme / thy tale to bigynne
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NOw sires / quod this Osewold the Reue
I pray yow alle / that ye nat yow greue
Thogh I answere / and somdeel sette his howue
For leueful is / with force ; force of showue
¶ This dronke Miller hath ytoold vs heer
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How that bigyled was a Carpenteer
Parauenture in scorn / for I am oon
And by youre leue I shal hym quite anoon
Rigħt in his cherles termes wol I speke
I pray to god / his nekke mote breke
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He kan wel / in myn eye seen a stalke
But in his owene / he kan nat seen a balke
¶ Heere bigynneth / the Reues tale ~
AT Trumpyngtoū / nat fer fro Cantebrigge
Ther gooth a brook / and ouer that a brigge
Vp on the which brook / ther stant a Melle
And this is verray sooth / þt I yow telle
5
A Miller / was ther dwellynge many a day
As any pecok he was proud and gay
Pipen he koude and fissħe / and nettes beete
And turne coppes / and wel wrastle and sheete
And by his belt he baar a long panade
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And of a swerd / ful trenchant was the blade